Traveling Daughter
by VGWrighte
Summary: Cassandra Carter followed in her mother's footsteps, joining the Air Force and then the Stargate Program . . . then causing an accident and getting sent to an alternate universe. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Traveling Daughter

Chapter One

Based upon Stargate: SG-1

According to my computer, I started this story three and a half years ago. I am proud to say it is finally finished. You'll be able to read it in it's entirety over the next week or two.

I have installed a clock so you can have an idea about the passage of time. Classic _hours : minutes _setup. Not necessary, but I found it helpful during the writing process, so maybe you'll find it helpful during the reading process.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

_Season Ten - Post "Uninvited", Pre "Road Not Taken"_

"No, of course I'm excited." Pause. "It's just . . . There's a lot on my plate right now." Pause, laugh. "No, you don't need to send Cam to the Gamma Site."

Samantha Carter smiled to herself as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. "It's just gonna be you and me and a lake with no fish," her tone turned soft. "You're bringing the whipped cream right?" Pause. "Yes, I remember about that one board on the dock that squeaks. I also remember that Lay-Z-Boy that you love so much." She released a chuckled as he released a longing groan before asking her another question.

"Yeah, I told them I was visiting my brother, but I don't think Teal'c or Vala believed me."

With a flash and a fizzle of light, someone appeared - from literally no where - in the center of her lab. She shrieked. "I'm gonna have to call you back." Pause. "No, I'm fine, but I have to call you back." She hung up the phone.

"Mom?" the someone asked.

"Mom?" Sam repeated. She couldn't decide on what to be more shocked about, the fact that someone almost magically appeared in her lab, or the fact that that person called her 'Mom.'

She was wearing Air Force blue BDUs, though they seemed a little different in style than the ones Sam was wearing. One shoulder had an SGC patch on it, the other said SG6. It was no member of SG6 she recognized. The nametape above her right breast pocket said "Carter" and she wore a the silver train tracks of a Captain on her collar.

The someone, a woman maybe ten years younger than herself, touched her own chest, "Mom, it's me Cassie."

"Where did you come from?"

"By the look of you, '_when'_ is probably the better question," _Cassie_ said.

"Okay, _when_? And who are you?"

"I came from 2016, which is - looking at you - the future," her tone turned chipper as she regarded Sam carefully. "You look great, by the way."

Sam just stared. _You look great?_ Cassie had said. "What?" She really couldn't form any other words. Sam had no idea what was going on, but her visitor obviously had a clue.

"I'm Cassandra Carter, your daughter."

Sam blinked. "My daughter?" Then it hit her, this Cassie did look familiar. Sam did know her, but as Cassandra Fraiser. "Oh my God, Cassie."

Cassie smiled, probably glad to be recognized.

Sam shook her head, understanding. Cassie's smile faded. "I was the one who adopted you, not Janet . . ."

"Janet? Janet Fraiser?"

Sam nodded. "You didn't just come from the future, you came from an alternate reality, one in which I adopted you instead of Janet." She paused, thinking. "How did you get here?"

She gave a chagrinned smile. "That's a funny story. See," she held out her wrist and revealed what appeared to be a modified Sodan cloaking device, "I was working on a project to interface the SCDs with Arthur's Mantle and . . . there was an incident."

"What kind of incident?"

Cassie smiled, "Now you sound like my mom."

"Cassie," she said, realizing that she had again used her _mom_ tone, usually reserved for Jack, Cam, Vala, or a combination of the three.

"Okay, well, I was trying to make a personal cloaking device, similar to the Sodan's," she held out her wrist, "but that didn't irradiate the wearer. So, I was running experiments with Arthur's Mantle. I don't know exactly what happened. I was in my lab when I heard an unscheduled off-world activation. The lights surged, I was called to the 'gateroom, but before I could move, there was a flash and . . . Hello."

"Well, there was probably a power surge in the 'gate system that traveled through the facility and through the Mantle, if you had to connected to the main grid."

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, in retrospect, that probably wasn't the greatest idea."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah, probably not."

There was a moment of silence. "How do I get home?"

Sam watched her for a second, thinking. She had no idea.

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:30_

Cassie stood next to her mother, who wasn't really her mother. They were waiting in the briefing room for the rest of SG1, Carolyn Lam, and the General. They had come directly from "Mom's" lab. General Landry showed up first, finally worming himself away from the geologist from SG-12.

He stared at her a moment before turning to Mom. "Colonel?"

"Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to wait for everyone else so we only have to explain this once."

He nodded. "Alright." He took the seat at the end of the table and continued to regard her carefully, no doubt seeing the SG6 patch on her shoulder. She shook her head. "You haven't seen me in about ten years. But we'll explain when everyone else gets here."

The others trickled in after a few minutes. They all were staring at her, like they didn't recognize her. Of course, they didn't. She recognized them, so it was more than a little strange.

When everyone was settled, Mom glanced to General Landry for the nod, which he gave. "This," she held her hand out, "is Cassandra Carter. She appeared in my lab earlier today. Because of an accident involving a Sodan Cloaking Device, Arthur's Mantle and - we think - a 'gate overload, she made a jump from her reality to ours."

No one said anything.

"In her reality, she's my daughter," Mom paused. Several people looked as if they were going to say something, but didn't. "In this reality, she's Cassandra Fraiser."

It then clicked for everyone. It seemed they had all recognized her but didn't know from what or where, like that one actor who you're sure you've seen in something else but just can't put your finger on it.

"I'm sorry, who?" Vala asked.

"Almost twenty years ago, ten from your perspective, the Goa'uld Nirrti was performing experiments on many of her worlds. She was trying to create a hak'taur. She destroyed my entire planet and all the people on it. I survived. SG1 rescued me. Where I come from, Mom adopted me. Here, I guess, Doctor Fraiser adopted me."

"Janet Fraiser was one of my predecessors," Doctor Lam explained. "She was killed in action three years ago."

There was a moment of silence in the room, those who remembered her felt the loss.

"What do we do now?" Cam asked.

"We try to get me home," Cassie said.

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _25:26_

Cassie stood next to her mother in her mother's lab. She had arrived in that reality the day before and they had made little progress. Sure, they were pretty sure they figured out what had initiated the first jump. But, that didn't mean they knew how to make it happen again.

She did like spending time with her mom in this capacity. In this reality, she and her mom were friends, sisters almost. That was how she acted, as if she was interacting with her Cassie. Now that they were much closer in age, they related with incredible ease.

Not to mention they worked well together, almost certainly because Cassie learned most of what she knew from Mom.

"Why don't we just try another power surge?" Cassie suggested.

Mom looked up. "Because I'm not sure where that will send you, assuming it sends you anywhere at all."

"The truth is, Mom, I'm getting antsy. I've been here a while and I'm worried about entropic cascade."

Mom sighed. "Yeah, me too. It's not a pretty sight, and I'd rather you didn't have to go through it."

"I say we go for it."

Mom was silent for a minute, thinking. "Let's wait. We don't know if you're going to experience it. Not only did you jump realities, but time as well. Your quantum signature may have changed. I honestly don't know."

"Yeah, well, in ten years we're still just as clueless about this as you are." Cassie considered her mother's concern. "You're right, let's wait. But as soon as it happens, I want to try."

Mom nodded. "Alright."

"Good morning, ladies," Colonel Mitchell said walking into the lab.

Cassie glanced up, past Mom, to the door and Colonel Mitchell before turning back to her work. "Oh hey."

"Woah!" Mitchell said.

Again, she looked up. "What?" she and Mom said together.

He walked into the lab. "You didn't see that. You both looked up at the same time, said the same thing, and looked down. Then you both looked up at the same time, again." Settling on the other side of the lab table, he looked at the both of them. "You sure you're not related?"

"Oh, ha ha," Cassie said. She glanced at Mom, realizing they both wore the exact same expression.

It was not lost on Mitchell. "Lunch?" he changed the subject.

"How do you know we haven't eaten already?" Mom asked.

"What time is it?" he asked. "Don't cheat," he pointed his finger at her.

"1100."

"Ha!" he pointed accusingly. "It's 1330."

"You said 'good morning' when you came in," Cassie said.

"That was a test to see if either of you know what time it was. Come on," he waved them over while heading to the door. "Lunch."

Mom leaned over to her. "He doesn't get this excited about lunch unless they have roast beef."

"That's because it's delicious, come on."

Laughing, she followed Mom and Colonel Mitchell out.

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _32:56_

Cassie headed towards Mom's lab. Mom had gone home for the night. Cassie couldn't fall asleep, so she decided to look at their problem some more. When she got there, she heard Mom's voice. She thought she had gone home for the night.

Mom was talking to someone. Standing outside Mom's lab, she listened. Cassie didn't hear a second voice, so concluded Mom was on the phone. She knew shouldn't be eavesdropping on her mother's phone conversations, but . . . Sam Carter wasn't her mom here.

"Why are you still working? You had a few days off, you should've taken them," Mom said.

Cassie wondered who she was talking to.

"I know. I wanted to have this vacation too, but this thing with Cassie came up."

Now she felt bad, Mom didn't tell her that she interrupted her leave time.

The tone in Mom's voice changed, it became softer, silkier. "How about this. When we figure out how to get Cassie home, you and I can go up to the cabin. No ifs, ands, or buts."

_Cabin?!_ Was Mom on the phone with Jack?

"Really? You don't think I can get out of here at the drop of a hat. What about you? If you deviate from your schedule for a sip of water, Lieutenant Stevens is all over you." Mom laughed. "Oh, you definitely need an assistant or nothing would ever get done."

Cassie decided to enter the room before someone came down the corridor and saw her eavesdropping. "Mom, what are you doing here so late?" she asked, pretending not to have heard any of that conversation.

Mom was sitting in the rolly-chair, leaning back comfortably with her feet up on a table. She snapped upright, dropping her feet. "We can talk about it later." Her tone changed, it was a little more professional, and perhaps a bit embarrassed. "Yeah," she said after a pause, "Cassie's here. We're going to get to work." She tried to suppress a smile, obviously from something Jack said. "I'll call you tomorrow." She hung up the phone and greeted at Cassie with a smile, "Evening."

Cassie leaned on the lab table, eyes wide with interest. "Who was that?"

"Oh, that? Nobody." She rifled through a few things on the table and then turned to her laptop, trying to disguise the blush creeping onto her face.

"Was it Jack?"

For a split second, Cassie thought Mom would deny it, but she didn't. Well, _almost_ didn't. "Okay, yes, it was the General."

Cassie shook her head. "Uh uh. You don't go on vacation with _the General_."

Mom tried not to look guilty.

"Are you and Jack a thing?"

She sighed. "Well, yeah."

Cassie smiled. "Really? That's great. Weird, but great."

"Weird? Why is it weird?" Mom asked, leaning toward her.

"Because he's not my dad."

The statement caught Mom off guard. She looked a little scared for a minute. Cassie was sure it was the word "dad" that gave Mom thoughts of marriage and children.

"Who is your dad?" she finally asked.

"I don't have one," Cassie said. "I mean, you and Teal'c have been together for a little over five years now, but he's not really my dad."

"Teal'c? Really? What's that like?"

Cassie was about to answer, but a sharp pain she could feel in every joint, muscle and bone stopped her. For a few seconds she felt like she was being torn in two, or three, or four. Her knees almost buckled, and she gripped the table to stay upright. When she was fully aware of her surroundings again, Mom was standing next to her, arm around her and propping her up.

"I know what that was," Mom said.

Cassie took a deep breath, her entire body ached. She felt like he had just been hit by a bus. "Let's try the power surge."

Mom nodded. "Yeah."

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _33:43_

Cassie stood in an isolation room surrounded by the equipment needed to cause a power surge like one caused by the 'gate without _actually_ overloading the 'gate. She had already said her goodbyes, but looked up and waved at her mother and friends anyway.

They waved and smiled back.

"I'm ready," she finally said.

Her mom punched a few controls and a humming sound filled the room. The lights flickered, flashed, then settled. She looked around. Nothing. She hadn't shifted realities.

"It didn't work," Colonel Mitchell said.

Her mom frowned. "No, it didn't."

"Should we try it again?" he asked.

Cassie shook her head. "I don't want to risk it just yet. I don't want to blow out the SCD. If I lose that, I really will be screwed."

"Well, Cass," Colonel Mitchell said, "you're not in such a great-"

His words were drown out as every joint in her body lit afire and started to pull away from each other. As soon as it started, it was over. Cassie was on her knees, Mom and Colonel Mitchell were at her sides, gripping her shoulders.

"Cassie," Mom said.

She shook her head and allowed them to help her to her feet. "We've gotta find a way to get me out of here."

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _35:48_

They were sitting in the commissary, half empty trays in front of them, the food long cold. Colonel Mitchell had convinced them to have a lunch meeting, even though it wasn't lunch time. Cassie and Mom, realizing that hadn't eaten in a while, agreed.

Cassie and Mom were having a lively discussion with two computers between them. Mitchell was napping one table over.

"I just don't understand why another power surge didn't do anything," Cassie admitted.

"I know. We checked the device and nothing shorted out, melted . . ."

"Oooh!" Cassie made a realization. "We checked ONE device!"

"Arthur's Mantle?"

"Yeah, we have no idea what condition that's in, and that's what was hooked up to the power grid anyway."

"So you want to interface our Mantle with your SCD and then give it another surge?"

"It's as good a theory as any."

"Cam," Mom said. He didn't move. "Cam." She threw a straw at him, he still didn't move. "Cam!" She slapped him across the back of the head.

He jumped. "Ow. What'd you do that for?"

"You were sleeping on the job."

"Hey, my job is very stressful."

"Your job is to follow us around."

Colonel Mitchell opened his mouth to reply but there was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _36:00_


	2. Chapter 2

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 2

Based upon Stargate SG-1

Rated K+ for mild language

Author's Note: "The Q" refers to base quarters (either Bachelor Enlisted or Officer's Quarters, or the Visiting Officer Quarters). Usually it's pretty much a hotel.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie looked around. She wasn't sitting in the commissary with Mom and Colonel Mitchell anymore. It didn't take her long to realize she jumped again. She was standing in the locker room. She turned around to be face to face with a man she had actually never met in person. "Charles Kawalsky?"

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, clutching the towel around his waist. "What are you doing in here?"

She smiled nervously. "Funny story really. Why don't I wait outside and tell you when you're wearing pants."

He nodded slowly.

She turned as quickly as she could and closed the door behind her. She waited with her back to the wall right next to the door. Well, that was thoroughly embarrassing.

A few minutes later, Major Kawalsky exited the locker room, fully dressed. "Okay, who are you?"

"My name is Cassandra Carter, and in addition to being from the future, I'm from an alternate reality."

He stared at her as if she was speaking gibberish.

"Is Samantha Carter around? She and I speak the same language."

"Samantha Carter?" Kawalsky shook his head, the name obviously wasn't ringing any bells.

"No Samantha Carter?" Cassie bit her lip, thinking. "Well, she might have a different last name. She's got a doctorate in astrophysics, led the team that created the dialing program . . . "

"You mean Doctor Hansen? Tall, blonde, blue eyes, no one can understand half of what she's saying . . . That sound like her?"

"Hansen?! She married Jonas Hansen? Is she okay?"

Kawalsky frowned. "Yeah, what do you mean?"

"She told me about Jonas Hansen. He was verbally abusive and she left him the first time he hit her."

"He _hit_ her?" Kawalsky's gaze moved away from her and into the distance. "Oh my God, how did I not notice?"

"Uh, Major, what are you saying?"

"I always just thought he was a little over protective, but . . ."

"Are you telling me Hansen hits my mother and you never noticed?!"

"I just figured she was quiet and socially awkward like other geeks!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Cassie closed her eyes and rubbed her hand over her mouth. "Can you take me to her?"

"I still don't know who you are."

"I'm her daughter from an alternate reality. I had a little accident and this," she pointed her the device on her arm "is how I got here. Mom is probably one of the only people who can help me get home."

"Okay. Um . . . Yeah . . . How about I take you to the briefing room and you can try to explain this to everyone?"

Cassie nodded. "Sounds good to me."

They headed down the hall towards the elevator. They paused before they got there and Kawalsky pulled a phone off the wall. "Hey, Master Sergeant. Yeah, it's Major Kawalsky. Can you get the General, Doctors Fraiser and Hansen and the rest of SG-1 in the briefing room? What's it about?" he paused, thinking. "It's complicated. I'll let you all know when I get there. Sounds good, we're on our way up right now. Yeah, the 'we' is what's about."

They continued down the hall. They heard a page for SG-1, Doctors Hansen and Fraiser on their way to the elevator, which they took down to the 28th sublevel. "You recognized me," he said. "So what I am I doing in the future, where you come from?"

Cassie didn't answer immediately. She inhaled slowly through her teeth.

"What?" Kawalsky asked, sensing the obvious: that something was wrong.

"I actually never met you," she said.

"Then how'd you recognize me?"

"There was a couple pictures of you with SG-1 or you and Jack and some of your PJ buddies. . . . They told me stories."

"So, I'm dead."

Cassie nodded.

"Do I want to know how?"

Cassie thought about it for a moment. "Maybe, probably not."

"Was it off world?"

Cassie shook her head.

"Was it because of off world?"

Cassie nodded.

"Just tell me."

"There was a Goa'uld. You were . . . Uh . . . An immature Goa'uld wrapped itself around your spine but wasn't able to take control and it ended up killing you both."

She looked over and saw him staring forward at the door. "That sucks," he said after several seconds of silence.

She nodded. "Yeah, it does."

The doors opened and he walked out, not waiting for another word. She followed him. No one else was there, so Kawalsky just plopped down into a chair.

"But you don't recognize me . . ." Cassie said.

"Should I? I mean, you're not even born. If Hansen isn't your dad, then the Doc never had you . . ."

Cassie shook her head. "No, um, I was adopted. I'm from through the 'gate. What year is it?"

"1998."

"You might not have found me yet. Have you gone to a planet called Hanka? The Goa'uld Nirrti was experimenting on the people there and then she killed everyone. When SG-1 got there and everyone was dead. Everyone but me."

Kawalsky shook his head. "We haven't been there."

She turned towards the window to the 'gateroom and ran her fingers through her hair, which probably looked terrible. "I guess that's just one more thing I'll have to fix while I'm here."

"Listen, about Doctor Hansen."

Cassie turned around and faced him. "What about her?"

"I will take care of that. I promise."

"Thank you."

Daniel was the first one to arrive, with Janet on his heals. He looked as dorky as ever with his big glasses and that shaggy hair. She smiled, glad to see a familiar face. "Who are you?" he asked. She could tell by the look on Janet's face, she had the same question.

"Take a seat, Jackson, Doc, we'll explain when everyone gets here."

A few minutes later she heard an unexpected, yet familiar voice coming up the stairway. "I assure you Colonel O'Neill, I have known Teal'c since he was a child. He will be an invaluable asset to our cause."

Jack came up the stairs first, shaking his head, with Master Bra'tac right behind him. "I don't know Master B, First Prime of Apophis? Kind of high in the ranks to be a traitor, isn't he?"

"I, too, was high in the ranks of the False God Apophis, and yet, I am here."

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but saw Cassie. "Charlie, who's this?"

"Once everyone gets here, we'll tell you."

Jack shrugged and turned back to Master Bra'tac. "Alright, let's get a plan together to reach this guy."

Another minute or so later there were voices in the hall. One seemed a little agitated, but they were hushed. "I know you've got a lot on your plate right now, but you need to be home by 1900."

"Jonas, I'm sorry, I just lost track of time," Mom sounded quiet, meek, defeated.

"Well, you need to keep track of time."

Cassie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jonas was obviously controlling her mother's life and probably hitting her, too, and no one here noticed. She looked around at the faces of the people there. She was wrong. They did notice.

They all knew. They were pretending they didn't, but they knew.

Charlie looked the most guilty, because his fears had been confirmed.

Janet and Daniel looked at each other, but wearing an expression that said they knew Sam was in trouble, but were - perhaps - too afraid to say something to someone. Sam wondered if her mom every had any bruises and if Janet saw ever them.

Master Bratac just stood, existing in the space. It was difficult to read his expression. Perhaps he knew, perhaps he didn't. Perhaps he didn't think anything was amiss. After all, he didn't know much about human culture, after all, he'd only been on Earth for a few months.

Jack, on the other hand, looked visibly upset. He obviously knew something was wrong, and it looked like it was killing him to not do anything.

"Jonas, I'm gonna be late for this meeting. I can't make the General wait again."

"You're right," Jonas' voice changed, it dropped and softened. "How about we go home together tonight? And we'll have a quiet night together."

"Sounds great, Honey," Mom said, sounding a little better.

Cassie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at Jack, who looked disappointed.

Seconds later, Mom came through the door, and everyone looked around, trying to pretend they hadn't been eavesdropping.

Kawalsky got up and knocked on the General's doorway, poking his head in. "Sir, we're all here."

General Hammond followed Kawalsky back into the briefing room and everyone took their seats.

"This is Cassandra Carter," Kawalsky said. "She appeared right in front of my eyes."

- . - _Time in Reality: 4:12_

Cassie had been working with her Mom for 3 hours, and Jonas had come to check on them four times. "Mom, what's with him?" Cassie asked after he had left again.

She forced a smile. "He's just overprotective."

"I don't think he's _just_ overprotective, Mom."

"Would you mind not calling me that?" she asked. "It makes me uncomfortable."

"What should I call you?"

"Doctor Hansen would be okay. Or Sam."

Cassie frowned. "Both of those sound a little weird." Mom looked a little nervous, so Cassie compromised, "How about Sam?"

Her mom nodded. "Sounds good."

Cassie smiled. "Yeah."

"This thing is amazing," Mom said in a less-than-subtle attempt to change the subject while looking at the SDC through a large magnifying glass.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. A little bit annoying right now, but . . ."

Mom let loose a small giggle. "That's par for the course around here."

"I just don't know what to do about this," Cassie admitted for the fifth or sixth or seventh or thirtieth time.

"You said the second time you jumped, it was just random?"

"Yeah, we were getting something to eat. We had tried a power surge, but it didn't work. We had an idea about Arthur's Mantle, but I've been thinking about it. There's gotta be some kind of connection between my device and Arthur's Mantle or else I wouldn't have jumped the second time. Which means we should be able to manipulate it."

Mom nodded. "Alright, um . . . Let's start looking at low frequency radiation. We've been looking at high frequency stuff. Let's switch the spectrum and see if we can find anything."

Cassie nodded. "Alright, let's try it."

About an hour later, Jack and Kawalsky strolled in. "Alright, ladies, chow time," Jack said.

Cassie and Mom looked up, unaware of how ridiculous they looked wearing led vests and safety goggles. Kawalsky stifled a laugh.

"Is it really?" Cassie asked.

"Dang, Doc, she is your kid. Too busy to know what time it is and when to eat."

Kawalsky laughed. "Missing all those meals like she did growin' up, it's amazing she was able to grow that tall."

Jack and Kawalsky chuckled.

Cassie and Mom offered an annoyed glare.

"Come, Carter Times 2, let's get some lunch," Jack said, waving to them both.

"We should eat," Cassie agreed, taking off her glasses.

Mom glanced at the clock on the wall, "I should wait for Jonas, he and I were gonna have lunch together."

"Come on, Doc," Jack said, "he'll meet us there."

"He'll be expecting me here," her voice rose about half an octave. Her breath got a little short.

Again, Cassie couldn't believe how all these people claimed to be her friends, and didn't help her.

Kawalsky made a gesture with his head for Cassie to come over to him, so she moved away from Mom and towards the door as Jack moved towards Mom.

"Doc," he said in a soft voice. "It'll be alright." He leaned in towards her, but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Ready for lunch, Babe?" Jonas said, pushing past Kawalsky and Cassie as he entered Mom's lab.

Mom jumped back from Jack and took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Yeah. The Colonel and the Major just came to remind us what time it was."

No one missed the dark look Jonas shot at Jack.

Cassie was just about at the end of her rope with Jonas. She was amazed how these people allowed this to happen this long.

- . - _Time In Reality: 7:34 _

After a break for lunch, Cassie was ordered to the infirmary for a full workup. Janet apologized for having to run a full set of tests, but ran them all with a smile.

"Alright, that's everything," Janet said with a smile.

"Um, Janet, there is one thing I'd like to talk to you about," Cassie was sure to use a tone that indicated she needed some privacy.

Janet nodded. "Let's talk in my office." Cassie got up off the infirmary bed and followed Janet into her office. Janet closed the door behind them and offered Cassie a seat before rounding her desk and taking a seat herself.

"I know you can't talk about this - Doctor/Patient confidentiality and all - but why are you ignoring what Jonas is doing to my mom?"

Janet didn't answer immediately.

"I mean, you have to know what's going on."

Janet closed her eyes for a long second then just stared at her hands clasped in her lap.

"How can you let him hit her?"

"Because sometimes my job sucks," Janet said suddenly.

"What?" That was not the response Cassie was expecting.

"She's my best friend."

"So why don't you do anything?!"

"Because she won't let me!" Janet snapped, meeting her gaze.

"What?" Cassie didn't understand.

"Do you think I like seeing her like this?! Do you think I like watching her leave with him everyday, not knowing whether or not he's gonna beat her?! I've tried, Cassie, I'VE TRIED!" Janet jumped from her seat and paced the small room like a caged tiger. "But she tells me that she loves him and that he loves her. She tells me that she doesn't know what she'll do without him!

"So I have to make a choice! Everyday!" She paused, blinking back tears. "I have to make a choice," her voice had settled down a little, but still shook with anger, "whether to shut up, watch it happen, and be there for her, or report abuse I can't prove and get pushed out of her life and not be there when his verbal abuse and _hitting_ turns into a life threatening beating!"

Janet turned around, covering her mouth with her hands.

Tears were dripping down Cassie's face. "Why can't you help her?"

Janet turned around to face her, tears streaming down her face. "Because sometimes you can't help someone doesn't want help."

Cassie wiped the tears from her eyes. "But she's my Mom."

"And she's my best friend."

- . - _Time in Reality: 9 :45_

For the past 30 minutes, Mom couldn't stop looking at the clock.

"Can you relax?" Cassie asked, "Once we finish this last test, we can pack up and you can get out of here."

"I just don't want to be late." Mom glanced nervously towards the door.

Cassie slammed her hand on the table. "Why do you put up with this?!"

"What do you mean?"

"With Jonas? Where I come from you are a strong, intelligent, independent woman who would never let a man hit her."

Mom swallowed hard. "My husband doesn't hit me," she said. It couldn't have sounded more rehearsed.

"I know he does, Mom. That's why you left him in my reality. He hit you once and you walked out on him."

"My husband doesn't hit me," she repeated, as if they were magic words that might make it true.

"DAMN IT, MOM!" Cassie shouted. "It's only gonna get worse! Right now it may only be once in a while, but you're living in fear! And soon, it's gonna become every day. And then one day, he's gonna leave a mark, and it's slippery slope to you lying on a hospital bed and being the poster child for domestic abuse."

"Excuse me?" came an unwelcome voice from the doorway. "Just what the hell are you implying?" Jonas asked.

Cassie didn't need to glance at her mother to tell she was terrified. "I'm not implying anything! I know you hit her!"

"No, Cassie," Mom tried to interrupt. "It's nothing. Everything's fine. It's always fine."

"I don't like your accusations," Jonas growled, taking an aggressive step forward.

"So hit me!" she challenged. "Hit me like you hit your wife!"

"I do not hit my wife!" Jonas shouted.

And then it turned into a real shouting match. Cassie wasn't quite sure what she was saying, or what Jonas was saying, or what Mom was saying, but there was a lot of shouting. There was shouting until Jack appeared at the door with a single question.

"Doc, is it true?" he asked quietly, forcing silence into the room.

Jonas whipped around to face Jack. "Of course it's not true!"

"Shut up!" Jack shouted, taking an aggressive step towards him. "You shut your mouth!" He turned back to Mom. "Sam, is it true?" he asked softly.

Mom closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. Jack moved closer to her, Jonas and Cassie didn't move. "Sam, has he ever hit you?" She looked up at him wordlessly, and that was all Jack needed to see.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he shouted, turning and launching himself across the lab at Jonas. Mom was sobbing openly as Jack beat the living daylights out of Jonas. Cassie briefly considered trying to stop it, but was very realistic about the fact that Jack was a large and powerful man, she didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.

Lucky, Kawalsky showed up. "Jack!" He tried to pull Jack off Jonas, who may or may not have still been conscious, Cassie couldn't tell from his angle.

A few seconds later, two airmen ran in, having been attracted by the commotion. Between the three of them, they were able to get Jack off Jonas, who was still conscious.

"Airmen," Kawalsky ordered, holding Jack's arms behind his back, "Take Captain Hansen to the Infirmary. Keep him under guard, he's under arrest for spousal abuse."

The Airmen helped Jonas to his feet and slung his arms around their shoulders. Jack relaxed once he was gone and turned, suddenly calm. He rushed to Mom, then was hesitant.

"Sam . . . Sam if I had . . ." he didn't have the words. "I didn't know."

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I was afraid," she whispered.

"Oh, Baby," he muttered, pulling her into his arms. "I'm gonna take care of you." He rocked her as she sobbed. "I should've done this months ago."

Cassie followed Kawalsky into the hall, leaving them some privacy. "How long as he been in love with her?" Cassie asked.

"_Day One_ would probably be an exaggeration, but maybe day two or day three." Kawalsky thought for a second. "I don't know if he was like me and didn't know, or was lying to himself."

"She's gonna be okay now?" she asked.

Kawalsky nodded. "Yeah, Hansen'll be court-martialed. And if I know Jack, Doc's never gonna have to worry about anything ever again."

- . - _Time In Reality: 15:22_

Hours later, Cassie was exhausted. She had been pretty emotionally charged after the incident with Jonas, and now she was dead tired.

Jonas was in a holding cell. Mom was asleep in her quarters and Jack was just wandering the halls.

Every once in a while he would appear in Sam's lab to check on Cassie, or swing by Sam's room or by the holding cell. He was more than just a little on edge.

She had tried working for a while, but wasn't able to stay focused. A while ago Kawalsky brought her to the commissary. He first tried to get her to go to bed, but she wouldn't go, insisting she had work to do. So he was compromising by making her take a break and distracting her.

He asked her about Hanka.

It was interesting, to say the least, trying to save one's own life. She did realize that if were able to save Hanka, she wouldn't grow up on Earth and her life was different, but she figured it was worth it.

Jack poked his head in again.

"Take a seat, Man, you're driving me nuts," Kawalsky said.

Jack plopped down in a seat, seeming defeated and on edge at the same time.

No one spoke.

"Thank you," he finally said.

His sentiment took Cassie by surprise. "Um . . ."

"If you hadn't said anything, I don't know what would've happened."

Cassie shook her head. "I don't know what to say."

Jack shrugged. "Usually, neither do I."

The door opened and Jack jumped to his feet, it was Mom. She looked a little sleepy, but well rested. He met her halfway between the door and their table. "How ya doin'?" He shoved his hands in his pockets, clearly anxious.

She smiled at him. "Good."

"D'you'd sleep good?" he asked.

Mom nodded. "Yeah."

"Wanna sit and have some . . . Food?"

She nodded. "A little Jell-O would be nice."

"I'll get some, take a seat."

Mom sat down as Jack went through the line and got a cup of blue Jell-O for Mom. Cassie was amazed how he doted on her. He was clearly head-over-heels. He sat down across from her, pushing the Jell-O toward her. There was silence as she took a few bites.

"Cassie, did you make any progress?" Mom asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. I got a lot of interesting readings and analyzed some of the signals it's producing, but nothing looks promising."

"Do you think you'll want to work more tonight?" Mom asked, ducking her head.

Cassie shook her head. "No, I've been at it long enough that I'm kind of worthless now." She didn't miss Kawalsky's smirk as he realized he had convinced her.

"I was wondering . . ." Mom started, but took a deep breath, "Well, I mean. If you want to get off base for the night, you could come home with me."

Cassie smiled. "Yeah, definitely."

"Do you want to head out now? I mean-" she started to stumble over her words "I don't want to rush you out."

"Oh no," Cassie shook her head. "We can definitely go now."

"Let me just take care of this," Mom referred to the bowl of Jell-O in her hand. She stood up and headed towards the dish-return. Jack got up and followed her.

Cassie couldn't help but eavesdrop, but she knew Kawalsky was doing the same.

"I thought I'd go home with you tonight, so you wouldn't be alone. Or, you could come to my place."

Mom took a shuddering inhale. "Jack, um . . . We need to talk . . . About where we're going from here." She paused for a second, then quickly continued - probably in response to Jack's expression. "The fact is that I'm still married. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say."

"I understand," Jack said quietly. "You're right."

"Okay, that makes me feel better. I'm - um - not good at relationships."

Cassie could almost hear Jack smile. "Just let me know if you need anything."

"I will." Mom reentered Cassie's field of vision near the door. "Ready to go?"

Cassie stood. "Yeah, let's go."

They were relatively quiet on the way out of the mountain, and the drive home.

They'd been relatively quiet on the drive home. When they did arrive, Mom didn't get out of the car. Cassie watched her stare at the house.

"I think I'm gonna move," Mom said after a minute or so. "I don't want to live in his house."

"I can understand that." Cassie nodded a few times. "It'd be good to get your own place for a little while while you and Jack are figuring this thing out. I mean, you'll probably move again in a few months or a year, but you don't want to live in the Mountain or in the Q."

"Move again in a year?" Mom took a deep breath. "Move in with Jack?" She swallowed hard.

"What? Don't you want to be with Jack? He's crazy about you."

"Cassie," Mom said in a flat voice, "I don't know if you noticed, but I don't have such a good track record with men."

"Mom, look how good you're doing. This morning you were in an abusive relationship. Tonight you're an independent woman thinking about moving into your own house and moving forward in a relationship with an attractive, successful man who would do anything for you."

"You think so?"

Cassie nodded. "I know so. You're brave and tough - that's who Samantha Carter is."

"Tell me about her."

"About my mom?"

Mom nodded.

"Let's go inside and sit on the couch with a glass of wine, and I'll tell you about the woman who raised me."

It was hours later, Cassie and Mom were curled up on the couch with a half empty bottle of wine on the coffee table. It had been such a long time since she and Mom had had the opportunity to just sit and talk. And yeah, this Sam Carter wasn't quite her mother, but she was close. Cassie was able to see her as a woman who was not her mother, but a close friend who she'd known for most of her life.

"We've talked about me the whole time - er - me and your mom. What about you? Are there any attractive successful men waiting for you."

Cassie frowned. "Not right now. I had been going out with this guy for a while, but it fizzled out. He wasn't big on the whole me being gone for days at a time and being on call all the time, you know . . ."

"Oh, that sucks."

"Yeah, it does." Cassie shrugged. "But we'll see."

Mom opened her mouth to respond, but Cassie didn't hear her. There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _18:00_


	3. Chapter 3

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 3

Based upon Stargate SG-1

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie opened her eyes and looked around. She stood in the middle of an extremely crowded control room. She was a little bummed out that she had taken off her boots and over blouse at Mom's house in the last reality. She would have to borrow some from someone here.

"What is it?" she heard a familiar Texan voice boom. She turned to see Grandpa George coming down the stairs.

"No IDC, but we're getting a radio message," Chief Harriman answered.

"From who?"

Chief Harriman put the message on the main speakers. A hushed voice came over. "Stargate Command, this is Lieutenant Vickers. I'm about thirty yards from the gate. The rest of SG-11 was taken prisoner by some Jaffa, and now they're all in a group in front of the DHD. Major Talbot dialed the gate, so something's wrong. I think the Jaffa want them to send through an IDC, but I'm the only one who has a GDO that wasn't destroyed. Even if the Major is brain washed or something, they can't get through."

"Lieutenant, this is General Hammond. Is every member or your team accounted for?"

"Yes, Sir. Like I said, the rest of my team is with a bunch of Jaffa and they're not themselves." Vickers paused. "Sir, they're heading away from the stargate, with the rest of my team."

"Okay. Sit tight Lieutenant, in thirty minutes, we're going to establish a wormhole with a rescue team standing by. We'll need you to assess the situation on the other side. Understood."

"Yes, Sir. Thirty minutes."

"Stargate Command out." Grandpa George turned to the Chief. "Get SGs -2 and -3 ready to go. We'll dial back in thirty minutes."

"Yes, Sir."

"Um, excuse me," Cassie stepped up to Grandpa George, seeing a point to step in. "Excuse me, Grandpa George."

He turned to her and stared, almost as if he recognized her. He gave her a quick look up and down, immediately noticing she wasn't wearing a blouse or shoes.

"I'm Captain Cassandra Carter, and I'm from the future."

He didn't answer.

"There was a little accident, and I've been jumping realities and time."

"Who are you?" he asked, seeming more than a little confused.

"Cassandra Carter. I came from Hanka after Nirrti killed all my people."

"Hanka?"

"P8X-987." Cassie's eyes widened. "I don't exist here, do I?"

"P8X . . ." Grandpa George thought aloud. "We set up an observatory there, the people there worshiped the Goa'uld Nirrti, but we never had any encounters with her there."

"Wow."

"Give me one reason I should believe any of what you're saying."

"Because your granddaughters are Kayla and Tessa. I was a bridesmaid at Kayla's wedding when she married a successful insurance adjuster last year, 2015. Not to mention: how else could I have gotten here?"

He studied her, ascertaining whether or not he should trust her.

Cassie smiled. "Jacob Carter wasn't around much because he was off with the Tok'ra. You were my Grandpa."

Finally he gave her a small smile. "Alright, let's say I believe you. How did you get here?"

He believed her, at least a little, she knew. Cassie held up her forearm. "This is a modified Sodan Cloaking Device. The Sodan are a group of Jaffa warriors who do not believe the Goa'uld are gods, Teal'c can verify that. I modified it with a device called Arthur's Mantle. Unfortunately, you won't discover either of these devices for years. But, if my mom, Samantha Carter, looks at this stuff she can corroborate my story."

He frowned. "Unfortunately, Captain Carter isn't available right now. Perhaps Doctor Lee can look at it."

"Bill Lee?" Cassie sighed. "I'm not guaranteeing anything."

"Doctor Lee isn't sufficient?" he asked, heading out of the control room and towards the elevator.

It was obvious she was supposed to follow. "It's not that . . . It's just that, well, while being a great guy and a good scientist, Bill Lee was kind of always Pinky to my mom's The Brain."

Grandpa George looked back at her with a confused look.

Cassie thought for a second, thinking of an analogy he would understand. "Sergeant Schultz to my mom's Colonel Hogan," she answered.

He nodded.

"Where is my mom? - Captain Carter?" she asked as they got in the elevator.

"Labor."

"What?!"

Grandpa George nodded. "She's in labor, but I'd rather not discuss details until Doctor Lee can take a look at that gadget on your arm and I can be more sure that you are who you say you are."

"Could I ask for something else?" Cassie looked up.

"Depends on what you're asking for?"

"A pair of boots and blouse?"

Grandpa George smiled. "That, I'm sure, I can help you with."

- . - _Time in Reality: 01:22_

Doctor Lee had finished his initial evaluation of the SCD and had called Grandpa George down for a report, but they had instead been called up to control instead. When they got there, a radio transmission was coming through.

"Stargate Command, SG-2. We can't find Lieutenant Vickers. We have located where he made his initial report from. Based on the tracks, there might have been an altercation. He might've been taken."

Grandpa George frowned. "Expand your search, Colonel Reynolds. However, remain within communications proximity of the stargate. I want 30 minute updates."

"Understood, Sir. Reynolds out."

"What do you have, Doctor?" Grandpa George asked, turning away from the stargate as it disengaged.

"As far as I can tell, General," Doctor Lee explained, "the device is what she claims it is. But I'll admit that it's little over my head."

Grandpa George nodded. "Well, Captain Carter," he said, "I have a few other things on my plate at the moment, but seeing as there is no other plausible explanation for your appearance on my base, I'm forced to believe you. Doctor Lee can give you some assistance in figuring out your predicament. At the moment, I've got larger concerns."

"Anything I can help you with?" she asked.

Grandpa George shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but Doctor Lee will show you to his lab."

- . - _Time in Reality: 04:45_

There had been no progress, and as she suspected, Doctor Lee was less than helpful. She really needed her mom's help, but she just continued to work with what she had.

"Captain Carter," Jack said, coming into the room. She was wondering when she would see him, but the tone of his voice indicated this was not a social call. "You said you were from the future."

Cassie nodded. "I am."

"What do you know about the Goa'uld Sokar?"

Cassie blanched, surprised. "Not much, umm, my mom told me some. I read a few reports. He claimed to be the devil. My mom met him when she was saving Grandpa - Jacob Carter - from Ne'tu, a volcanically active moon. He was killed by Apophis after . . ." Cassie paused, this was going to be a long story. "Do you want the whole back story?"

Jack frowned. "Come up to the briefing room. General Hammond will definitely want the whole story."

- . -_Time in Reality:_ _06:03_

Grandpa George walked back into the briefing room after hanging up the phone, to continue planning the rescue of SG-11. "That was Doctor Brightman, Baby Carter is not far off." He sat back down. "Major, let's continue."

Major Davis gestured the map on the wall in front of him. "Based on the intelligence from SGs-2, and -3, the temple is approximately a half mile from the stargate."

"Sir, I need to be with Carter."

Both Cassie and Grandpa George looked up, as Jack had spoken quite suddenly.

Grandpa George almost shrugged the comment off. "I know everyone feels like this is their baby too, but Doctor Jackson and Teal'c are with her. With a missing team, we have more pressing matters."

"But it is my baby."

Cassie froze. She was almost certain her heart stopped beating for a second or two.

Grandpa George stood slowly and his voice took a very dark tone. "I'm going to ask you a question, Colonel, and think very hard before you answer. _What did you just say?_"

"I'm the father of Carter's baby."

"You knocked up my mom and you aren't together?!" Cassie shouted, shoving Jack with all her might. She pushed him a few times, driving him back a step every time.

"It's not like that."

"Then tell me what it is like!" she shouted, and shoved him again.

"We first slept together in 1969. It was just once, we thought. But then, after that whole thing with Hathor, it didn't stop. It wasn't about just sleeping together. It was about . . . Well I don't know, but not about just sleeping together. We didn't have to worry about getting pregnant because of her birth control. Then our good buddy Seth."

"Then the drug you were all exposed to in Seth's compound reacted with her birth control . . ." Cassie supplied in a drawn out tone, understanding what happened.

Grandpa George glanced at her and nodded. "That's what Doctor Brightman said. She also said that the father of Captain Carter's was some deadbeat who was out of the picture," he added, glaring at Jack.

Jack shook his head. "Brightman kept asking and Carter kept saying she didn't want to talk about it. Brightman assumed, Carter didn't correct her. And we were gonna tell you. We spent hours deciding what we were going to say, but things just kept coming up. Then it was too late.

"Daniel came to see Carter in the second trimester and caught me at her house. It was easier to lie and say I was just pitching in than tell him the truth. Carter's baby became SG-1's baby. We took turns staying with her. Right up at the end, one of us was always with her; taking turns a couple days at a time. Daniel and Teal'c always stayed in the guest room. Even though I slept with her every night, Carter and I made sure to change the guest sheets whenever I left, so the guys wouldn't catch on. They never did.

"I'll take what you can throw at me, George, but this is my baby."

Grandpa George looked like he was going to answer, but was interrupted by klaxons. One of the 'gate techs ran up the stairs. "Sir, I think you need to see this."

He scowled at Jack for a moment. "Effective immediately, you're relieved of duty. If you're lucky, you might get out of this by being reassigned to an unclassified position until the end of your tour, but I'm not sticking my neck out for you." He started down the stairs, but paused. "Since you're not following me down these stairs, perhaps there's somewhere else you need to be right now."

Jack watched him leave, then turned and headed towards the elevator. Cassie followed him. They stood in silence in the elevator for a few seconds. "So what's gonna happen now?" Cassie asked.

"I'm gonna raise my kid," he answered curtly.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant." He paused. "Come on, you know what goes down in these situations."

"You'll lose your security clearance, you'll get a bogus desk job and immediately start out-processing. And . . . Well, a lot of different things could happen to Mom. Docked pay, demotion, loss of clearances, inability to promote . . ." she trailed off, watching Jack. He didn't seem too affected by her words. "Would you do it again, knowing you'd get caught?"

"You mean have an affair with a subordinate, get her pregnant and ruin both of our careers?" he asked. She knew he was just repeating it in a manner that made it sound like an answer.

"Would you?"

The doors opened and he stepped out, he didn't look back at her. "I would've told Hammond sooner."

Cassie paused long enough to follow him at a distance. She wanted to see her mom, too, but was sure that Jack didn't want her in his face. She watched Jack enter the isolation room, obviously reserved for Mom so she wouldn't be giving birth in the Infirmary surrounded by a ton of people. Cassie veered right and headed up into the observation longue, where Doctor Brightman sat.

She looked up. "Captain Carter," she greeted, "How are you feeling? Any entropic cascade?"

Cassie shook her head. "No, I feel fine."

Doctor Brightman glanced up into the isolation room and saw Jack enter. An unspoken conversation went on between Jack, Teal'c and Daniel the others left, leaving Jack alone with Sam. He climbed into bed with Sam and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead. They spoke in hushed tones, he was probably telling her that everything was okay and everyone knew. The Doctor looked back at her paperwork, seemingly unaffected by the display of affection before her.

"You're not surprised by that?" Cassie asked, taking a seat.

Brightman shook her head. "I'm the base doctor, I know a lot of things people don't think I know."

"You didn't say anything? Report them?"

Brightman shook her head. "I didn't have any real proof, and if they weren't admitting it, there had to be a reason."

"Would you believe they were going to but _never got around to it_?"

"Yes, I would. They're both very responsible and tend to own up to their mistakes, but they've both got a bit of the _good child syndrome_, even the Colonel. Sure, they've screwed up before, and they've defied orders, but a sexual relationship and conceiving a child is an entirely different story."

"Yeah, well, that's true." Cassie watched Jack coach Mom through a contraction. "I don't think I want to be here for this . . ."

Brightman nodded. "Understandable."

Cassie got up and walked out of the room, heading towards the control room to see what had called Grandpa George away so quickly.

The Stargate was activated when they got the control room. The iris was closed.

Everyone jumped when a figure materialized in the gateroom. The defense teams opened fire, the bullets went straight through the figure.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Grandpa George shouted through the intercom.

Cassie blanched. She had never seen this, but Mom had told her about it once. It was Sokar.

"People of the Tau'ri," the hologram spoke. "You have defied your God for the final time. You will be destroyed."

The center of the iris started to glow.

"What is going on?" Grandpa George asked.

"Your destruction," the hologram said before vanishing.

"It's a particle beam," Cassie said. "He's melting the iris from the other side."

"What can we do to stop it?" Grandpa George asked.

Cassie shook her head. "Absolutely nothing. It's just a matter of time."

- . -_Time in Reality_: 07:52

Cassie held her breath as she watched the iris smolder, hoping it would hold just a few minutes longer. It had to. They needed more time to evacuate the base. The iris had to hold. Mom invented it, it would last long enough.

The white hot center finally split and melted. A large chunk dropped to the ground, molten metal dripped around it.

It didn't hold.

"Seal off Corridor's Alpha and Charlie!" Jack shouted.

Walter did so, "Corridors Alpha and Charlie sealed." he then got on the base intercom. "The iris is breached. Repeat the iris is breached. All personnel assume defensive positions and prepare for Jaffa incursion. The iris is breached. Repeat, the iris is breached. All personnel assume defensive positions."

Jack grabbed her arm roughly. "Come on!" He pulled her out of the control room. "Davis!"

"Where are we going?" Cassie turned and saw Major Davis begin to follow them.

"Infirmary."

They got into the elevator, but Davis didn't follow them. Jack was silent on the way up to the Infirmary. She knew better than to ask him any more questions.

Davis caught up with them outside the Infirmary but he had a rifle now. Jack nodded at him. "Good man."

Mom was lying on the Infirmary bed, holding her son. She was smiling at him. Jack paused for just a second, probably admiring the view. "Can I see him?" he asked, walking up to her.

Mom bit her bottom lip gently. "Yeah, he's been wondering where Daddy was."

Jack smiled. "He has?"

Mom nodded. "I could tell."

Jack chuckled a little when he received the baby. He pulled him closed and kissed his forehead. "Hey, little man, Daddy loves you." He held the baby tight. "Daddy loves you so much." He turned his head towards Cassie at the door, "Come here."

She did.

"Take him." Cassie knew by the tone of his voice he meant for good.

Mom jolted upright. "What?"

"Cassie, take him."

"No, Jack. Give him back. Give him back right now!" Mom's voice shook.

Cassie shook her head.

"Save him! Save your mother's son!" Jack shouted, handing her the baby.

Tears started to fall. Hers, Moms, Jacks . . .

Mom was hysterical and trying to get up. "Give him back to me right now! That is my SON!" she cried.

Jack immediately climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest as she became increasing emotional, pleading with him.

"Save him, Cassie," Jack told her. "You are running out of time!" She had heard Jack give orders to other people, but never to her. She knew an order when she heard one.

"Captain Carter, we need to leave!" Major Davis called from the doorway, not looking away from the corridor.

Mom was sobbing, wailing really. "Jack, she can't take him! HE'S NOT READY! HE NEEDS ME!" She clutched wildly at Jack, trying to make him change his mind.

Tears continued to pour down Cassie's face.

"Go, Cassie! NOW!" Jack barked, pulling Mom's arms to his chest, trying to restrain her.

"CARTER!" Davis snapped.

Tearing her eyes away from the uncontrollable woman who looked like her mother. "I'm sorry," she said, backing away from them. "I'm so sorry." She turned and hurried after Davis, hearing nothing but her mother's screams of anguish behind her.

She didn't know where they were going, she couldn't focus on that. She could only focus on following Davis and holding the precious bundle as carefully and securely as she could.

Suddenly they stopped, and Davis pushed her into a room, it was a small store room. He closed the door behind them and pushed a shelf in front of it. He then quickly scanned the room and pulled another shelf away from the wall, revealing a large air vent.

"Alright, listen to me," Davis grabbed her shoulders roughly. "You're gonna take that baby and you're gonna sit in that air vent. And you're gonna be silent. I'm gonna move all these boxes and shit in front of the vent and try to hold them off for as long as possible. Hopefully it'll be long enough for you to jump again and that baby somewhere else."

"But what about you?"

"I'm a dead man anyway. Everyone in this complex, if not on this planet, is dead. You're the only one with any kind of chance."

"What if he doesn't come with me?"

Major Davis didn't answer at first. "He's gonna go with you," he finally said. Cassie knew that he wasn't quite sure, but he needed to be.

Cassie nodded and got in the air vent.

There was a lot of noise as Major Davis pushed boxes and other junk in front of the vent. Then were was some noise that was probably him setting up a defensive position. Then it was silent.

Cassie looked at the baby in her arms. He was thankfully asleep. He was so darn cute. Sure, he was a newborn and therefore a little ugly, but he was so perfect. She kissed his forehead. "If we get out of this," she thought to herself, "I'm gonna make sure you have the best family." He was her brother, and she loved him.

She felt tears drip down her face. And for the first time in a very long time, she prayed.

Cassie prayed that they would survive. Cassie prayed that Jack didn't sacrifice the only time with his son he would have for nothing. She didn't know long how she prayed, but she stopped praying when she heard the door open. She stopped breathing, too.

There was a loud crash as the shelf was pushed over.

There were three rapid gunshots. Cassie pulled her brother to her chest, trying to protect him from the noise. Two more shots. Then another. Then three more. Then the sound of a clip being dropped and reloaded.

Five rapid shots, then a staff blast. She knew Major Davis was dead.

She started praying again as she heard the Jaffa begin to tear the room apart.

There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _9:00_


	4. Chapter 4

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 4

Based upon Stargate SG-1

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie opened her eyes when she felt the world solidify around her. She was still shaking. Mom was dead, at least one of them was. She had to concentrate on what was going on now. She had to find someone to leave her brother with.

It was dark, but there was a light in the hallway. She knew she was in someone's living room. She turned, looking at the mantle place to peer at the pictures in the darkness. She recognized several of the pictures. She was in Jack O'Neill's house.

She looked at the baby in her arms. He was awake, but quiet. She bounced him a little, trying to keep him calm. She was amazed he had done this well so long. It really was one of the miracles she asked for.

"What are you doing in my house?" she heard from behind her.

Damn Jack O'Neill and his stealthy movements. She turned slowly, holding tight to the baby in her arms. "Hi, Jack."

He immediately put the gun down, dropped the clip, and pulled back the bolt. "Do I know you, either of you?"

Cassie glanced down. He didn't recognize her. He unloaded this gun because he saw the baby and of his past experience with children and guns. She smiled. "It's me, Cassandra . . . Fraiser," she tried. The realities she'd been to, they knew her as Fraiser.

"I'm home for the first time in six weeks and you decide to take forever locking up the house?" she heard from the hallway. "What is this?" The owner of the voice flicked the light switch upon entering the room.

Cassie looked to the still illuminated hall to see - "Oh God, Mom!" It was her mom. She was wearing one of Jack's button up flannel shirts, with only two or three buttons done and nothing else. _Nothing_ else. Cassie glanced at Jack, who was wearing jeans and no shirt.

"Mom?" her mom repeated.

"I thought you said your name was Fraiser?" Jack said.

"I did," Cassie replied distracted, not taking her eyes off her mother. "I do not even want to know what I just interrupted." As if on cue, the baby started crying.

"Who is that?" Mom asked.

"She said she was Cassie, but called you 'mom.'"

Her mom nodded. "Yeah, I heard that."

Cassie tried to shush her brother, who was clearly cranky about all the noise and commotion preventing him from napping. She looked up, seeing Jack and her mom staring at her. "Okay," she said over the crying baby. "There's a lot I have to tell you, so can you please go put some clothes on?"

Jack tilted his head. "You're the intruder into _our_ house. How about we tell you what's going to happen and you do what we say."

"I came from an alternate reality," she deadpanned.

Jack watched her for a second. "Okay," he said and turned, heading to the hall and find some clothes. Cassie knew he couldn't argue with that.

"How did you get here?" Mom asked.

"It's a bit of a long story. Can you _please_ go put some clothes on?"

Her mom looked down, taking note of her state of dress and suddenly looked embarrassed. "Yeah," she turned, following Jack down the hall.

Cassie turned her full attention back to the crying baby in her arms. She opened up the blanket and brought him up to her shoulder and rubbed his little back. She cooed him and whispered sweet comforting things while walking back and forth across the room. He quieted after just a few moments. "That's it," she said quietly, "that's it." She knew she was trying to calm him down as much as she was trying to calm herself down.

She looked up to see Jack and Mom come back into the room, both pants and shirts. The flannel shirt her mom had been wearing was still around her shoulders, though now completely buttoned.

Jack and Mom sat down on the couch. "Okay," Mom said. "Who are you and where did you come from?"

"First things first. I need you to take him."

They both stared at her. "What?" Jack asked.

"I need you to take him," she said with more force.

"Why?" Jack repeated.

"Because he's your son," she raised her voice a little more.

Jack stood up. "That is not my son."

"No, you're right, it's not!" she shouted, causing her brother to cry again. "His parents were killed when the Goa'uld invaded the mountain! They were probably shot where I left them, lying on an infirmary bed because you," she pointed a shaking finger at her mom, "just had him. And you," she pointed at Jack, "ripped him from her arms and threw him at me, saying _Take him, Cassie._ _Save him. Save your mother's son._" Tears rolled down her face, just like her brother's.

She looked down at the baby in her arms, trying to calm him once more, ignoring her own tears. Suddenly, she felt arms around her. She looked up to see her mom. She leaned into her, tucking her face into her mom's neck. She then felt Jack's hand on her shoulder.

Cassie leaned back after a few moments, and smiled at her mom.

"Your mom's okay," she said.

Cassie nodded. "I know. She's probably at the Mountain right now figuring out where I went, and she wasn't my mom, and - really - neither are you, but . . ."

Mom nodded. "I understand." She looked down at the baby, her "son." "May I?"

Cassie nodded and handed him over. She watched her mom smile and offer a finger to a tiny hand, which latched on immediately. "What's his name?"

Cassie opened her mouth to answer, but realized that she didn't know. "I don't know. If they named him, they never told me."

"Any suggestions?" Jack asked, watching Mom and the baby from over her shoulder.

"Paul," Cassie said.

"Paul?" they both repeated, looking from the baby to her.

"Major Davis fought off the Jaffa, giving me enough time to jump again. He saved both our lives." Jack squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

Mom smiled at the baby in her arms. "'Paul' it is."

"Now, the real problem," Cassie said, breaking her mother's concentration. "I've been jumping realities because of this," she held up her wrist, showing them the device. "It's a Sodan Cloaking Device that I'd been interfacing with Arthur's Mantle."

"A what?" Jack asked.

"Oh, you don't know what those are . . . That's okay, you will, eventually. The important thing is that I was in the first reality for a day and a half, the second reality for about eighteen hours, and the last reality for nine hours."

Mom's eyes got a little bigger. "That's not good."

Cassie shook her head. "I'm running out of time. Ten or so more jumps and," she made a broad gesture with her hand, implying her disappearing into oblivion.

"What?" Jack asked. "I don't get it."

"The frequency of her jumps is increasing exponentially. She'll be here for four and a half hours. The next reality, two hours and fifteen minutes, and so on. Eventually, she'll start jumping so fast that she won't be in one reality long enough to fully materialize."

Jack nodded. "So we have to fix this, and now."

Cassie nodded.

"Alright, Cassie and I will go to the Mountain. I'll drop this little guy off in the Infirmary so they can make sure he's okay. You need to go buy provisions."

Jack nodded. "Right, baby provisions. I'll meet you guys there."

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:43_

The guard at the gate was more than a little confused, and rightfully so. It was the middle of the night. Colonel Carter didn't work at the Mountain anymore. She had a baby with her. And the woman with her was supposedly Cassandra Fraiser, but she wasn't even close to the right age.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to call down," he said, obviously not knowing what else to do.

"My husband is the base commander and I was on SG-1 for six years, what do you think the officer on duty is going to say?"

He paused for a second. "You're right, Ma'am. Though, if anyone asks, I'm going you say you hit me."

Mom chuckled. "If anyone asks, I'll play along."

They went to the Infirmary first. They had called Janet Fraiser on the way, but she hadn't arrived yet. So, they stood around while one of the nurses did a preliminary examination of Paul. They gave him a little explanation of where the baby came from and he just stared in disbelief.

Janet arrived a short while later. "Okay, what was so important that you had to haul me out of bed in the middle of the night?" she asked coming in the door. She saw Cassie and then the baby and froze. "Who are they?"

Sam smiled. "This is my daughter from an alternate reality, yours in this one. And the baby is my son, also from another reality. We're trying to get Cassie home, but Paul's going to be staying here."

"Cassie?" Janet repeated.

Cassie smiled. "It's good to see you, again, Janet." She gave the little doctor a hug.

Cassie filled Janet in on the story of Paul's birth, which wasn't much. She said she would take care of it, so Cassie and Mom headed to one of the science labs.

A short while later, Janet came into Mom's lab, right behind Jack and Paul. Jack had a duffle bag over his shoulder and the baby in the crook of his other arm.

Her mom went over to him and took her baby. He kissed her cheek and walked over to Cassie. "About earlier," he said quietly, pulling her aside.

Cassie shook her head. "You don't have to explain."

"No, I do. You need to know that you're leaving him in the right place. You are. It's just that . . . before . . . The first real vacation I get with my wife in six weeks and someone from an alternate reality shows up and tells me I need to take a baby. I screwed up the first time I had a wife and son . . ." he trailed off, seemingly forgetting his planned speech.

"It's okay, Jack. I understand. You're a good guy and you're the best dad he could ever have." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "You may not be my dad where I come from, but I wouldn't want anyone else raising my brother."

He squeezed her back. "I promise I'll do the best I can."

She smiled, releasing him. "That's all I ask."

She turned back to the center of the room to see Mom and Doc Fraiser smiling at them.

"Well," Jack said, "You don't have to look at us like we're characters in one of those chick movies you watch."

Mom laughed, and they got back to work.

- . - _Time in Reality: 2:15_

Mom and Cassie were on their way up to Jack's office. He had taken Paul up there to try to get some work done, or so he claimed.

"I'm not sure this will work," Cassie said. "We don't have the all the data on the surge that sent me here."

"But we do have some of it, as well as data from similar surges in our gate. The model we created is very close to what happened. Most, if not all, of the deviations don't matter because of the accuracy of our instruments to recreate the conditions."

"You mean the inverse conditions?" Cassie corrected.

Mom nodded. "Exactly."

Without knocking, Mom opened the door to Jack's office and chuckled.

Jack was reclined in his chair, asleep, with Paul on his chest. He had both of his hands protectively over the baby's back, holding him firmly. Cassie glanced at Mom, who had tears in her eyes and a grin on her face. Mom turned to Cassie, "Thank you," she said before rounding Jack's desk, and sitting on the edge of it. She ran her fingers through Jack's hair a few times before leaning forward and kissing his temple.

Jack blinked a few times and smiled at her. "The boy's a good sleeper," he said.

Mom took the baby from Jack's hands and cradled him. "He gets that from his daddy."

Jack looked past Mom, as if first noticing Cassie. "You guys got something?" he asked, his voice hardening to his usual professional tone.

Cassie nodded. "We have a good enough scope of the conditions of the accident that we are going to create the inverse conditions in an attempt to stop the jumps."

"Inverse conditions?" Jack repeated.

"Yup," Mom answered.

"What if it sends you backwards?"

Cassie frowned. "I haven't really been moving linearly, so 'backwards' wouldn't really matter."

"Unless it sent you to where you just came from, and from what you told us - there might not be anything to send you back to."

"Hmmmm," Mom hummed. "We hadn't really thought of that."

Jack smiled. "We better be careful, Carter, it sounds like some of your brains might be rubbing off on me."

She winked. "We could only be so lucky."

- . - _Time in Reality: 3:00_

They had gotten everything set up to induce the inverse conditions. It wasn't that Cassie was in a hurry to leave, but she was nervous about recalibrating and trying again. She didn't know where she would turn up next and wanted to get it right in this reality.

"Ready to go?" Jack asked, walking into the isolation room, holding Paul against his shoulder.

Mom and Cassie looked up from their computers. "Ready as we'll ever be," Cassie said. She went over to Jack and leaned in to kiss the top of Paul's head. "I love you, little man," she said before kissing him again.

She hugged both Jack and Sam and said some goodbyes before they went into the observation room. Cassie put on her safety goggles and gave the thumbs up to Mom. Mom nodded and activated the control sequence.

Cassie waited as she heard the equipment spin up and charge. She checked her ground one more time, to ensure she wouldn't get electrocuted. The noise stopped and Cassie gave Mom another thumbs up.

Mom returned the thumbs up and hit button.

Cassie said, but nothing happened. "Did it go off?" she asked after a minute.

Mom nodded. "Yeah."

"Should we try again?" Jack asked.

Cassie nodded. "Let's spin it up again."

- . - _Time in Reality: 4:05_

They had tried it twice more, recalibrated and tried again, another three times. Now they were sitting in the commissary, having a bite to eat.

Cassie knew she would jump soon again, and wanted to make sure she got a good meal before she left. She was eating a chicken salad sandwich and Mom was enjoying some blue Jell-O.

Jack was feeding Paul some of the formula he had picked up. Cassie had never seen Jack like this before, oblivious to the world around him and a small smile on his face. Not a smirk, softer than that.

Cassie glanced at Mom, who was also staring.

"You guys are going to be okay, right?" Cassie asked. "I mean, with you in Washington and Jack here?"

Jack looked up, so not completely oblivious to the world, "We'll figure it out." An O'Neillian smile then covered his face, "We've got time. Technically, I have 10 days of paternity leave and she's got like a month."

Mom giggled. "That's true. Everyone loves uncharged leave."

"That gives you plenty of time to tell Grandpa Jacob and for him to get her and meet his new grandson."

Mom's eyes got wide. "Thank God we're married."

Jack frowned. "Not that I disagree, but why does that matter?"

"You know my Dad . . . If this had happened a couple of months ago, when I still worked here and we weren't married . . ."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, he might've had a stroke."

Cassie smiled. "He wasn't super excited when he first met me, but warmed up to it. He's gonna love that little cutie. And he's gonna start asking for more."

Mom blanched.

Cassie giggled. "Yeah, that's pretty much the response you gave him every time he brought it up."

"Well," Mom replied. "Some things never change."

There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _04:30_


	5. Chapter 5

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 5

Based upon Stargate SG-1

Note: I completely made up the "Hawking Number." I needed a reality identifier that didn't sound completely ridiculous. Named, of course, for Stephen Hawking. Also, Kaku equipment for Michio Kaku.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie held her breath, eyes closed, almost a little afraid of where she'd be when she opened them. However, she knew she was running out of time so she opened them. Cassie smiled, they were at her house, well, her mother's house.

It was morning, she could smell the coffee. She could hear the shower running. Mom must be getting ready for work. She heard footsteps from the hall and saw someone coming.

Cassie noticed three things immediately. Two of those things shocked her, one didn't surprise her in the least. The two shocking things were that the figure who emerged from her mother's hall was Daniel, and the second thing was that he was old. Really old. 70s or 80s _old_, but he still had all this hair, white as it was. The third thing was that he was wearing pin striped pajamas. She was not at all surprised that Daniel wore pin striped pajamas. When was he from? 1915?

He paused at the end of the hall when he saw her. He stared at her for a second before removing his glasses, the ones with the large round lenses, wiping them on his shirt and placing them back on his face.

"Hello," he said in that skeptical tone he often used when something wasn't quite right. "Do I know you?"

"Daniel, it's me, Cassie."

"Cassie?" he repeated. "You look so young," he said, leaning back with a boyish smile.

She smiled. "Thank you." That wasn't exactly what she was expecting, but it was sure nice to hear.

"What are you doing here?"

"Umm, see, that's the thing . . . There was an accident, and I've been jumping realities . . . And time."

"Is that a Sodan Cloaking Device on your wrist?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. That's part of the accident."

"And the other part?"

"Arthur's Mantle and a stargate overload."

"Ahh," Daniel nodded. "Well, let me get Sam and we'll head down to the Mountain and get this figured out. Help yourself to some coffee." With that, he turned and headed back to the bedroom wing.

She got a mug out of the cupboard. The mugs were right where they were supposed to be, hey, it was her mom's house. She was halfway through it when she heard voices in the hall. It was Mom and Daniel. They were both dressed, and ready to go.

Mom looked great for being . . . 70? 80? Either way, she looked great.

"Cassie," Mom smiled. "You're so young."

"You're so old!" Cassie's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

After about three seconds of silence, Daniel and Mom burst into laughter. "No, no," Mom shook her head. "It's okay. We are old."

Cassie laughed too.

"Okay, what happened?" Mom asked, turning the issue back to why she was there.

"Well, first, I'm from 2016. I was trying to adjust the Sodan Cloaks so they didn't irradiate the wearer, and my power source was hooked up to the main grid and there was a surge from the gate . . . One thing led to another and I'm jumping realities and time. Successive jumps have been automatic and decreasing exponentially in frequency. I'll only be here for about two hours."

Grabbing her coat, Mom headed towards the front door, causing Cassie to follow her. "What have you been doing to get home?"

"We've been trying to induce a jump with a simulated overload, tried inducing inverse conditions . . . Nothing's working."

"Did you try directing them and then destroy the cloak when you get back?"

"Direct?" she asked with a laugh. "How?"

"Determine your Hawking Number and induce an affinity for that reality in the Sodan cloak," Mom replied, getting into the car.

Cassie climbed into the passenger seat and Daniel got in the back. "What? None of that made any sense. What's Hawking Number?"

"Oh, right, that hasn't been figured out yet, has it?"

Cassie shook her head.

"That's alright. It's easy. When we get to the Mountain, we'll just boot up the Kaku equipment and figure out we're your from."

"Can you two just walk into the Mountain whenever you want?"

Daniel chuckled from the backseat. "Things have changed thirty years. The Mountain isn't as inaccessible or secret as it used to be. The stargate isn't even there anymore. There's still a huge hunk of R&D stuff there, but the stargate's in Geneva."

"Geneva?!"

"Well, we're much more globally oriented now, and you know the Swiss. Friendly. Good at locking things up. Always on time. Delicious desserts."

Cassie looked over her shoulder. "Banks, watches, and chocolate? Not your best joke, Daniel."

He shrugged. "Teal'c thought it was hilarious."

"Like Teal'c's sense of humor is what we should be judging our humor off of."

Mom laughed. "I believe his best punchline was 'the Setesh guard's nose dripped.'" With that, they all laughed.

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _01:52_

They had been at the Mountain for about an hour and a half. For the past 25 minutes, she had been lying as still as possible while the Kaku equipment scanned her quarks, which was weird. Then, right when she had regretted not eating more than leftover lasagna, the scan shut off and Mom came back into the room.

"So?" Cassie asked, sitting up.

"We have a baseline. We know where you came from. It shouldn't be too difficult inducing an affinity for that reality. It can be a little finicky, so I'll show you how to do it in case something goes wrong and you end up in the wrong place." They left the isolation room, heading towards one of the labs.

Mom was different here, very different. She lacked some of the spunk that she was known for in Cassie's home reality. Sure it could have been just age, people tended to mellow out as they got older. Mellow out or get cranky. Cassie wasn't surprised that Daniel and Mom mellowed out. Jack, on the other hand, Jack would've gotten cranky.

"What?" Mom asked, realizing her mind had wandered.

"What happened to Jack?" she asked, fully mindful that he may just have died of old age.

Mom got quiet for a second. "He was killed offworld in an ambush in 2004."

"Rescuing SG-13," Cassie said, realizing the parallels in the timeline.

"Yes, how did you know that?"

"That was the mission Janet Fraiser was killed."

"Who?"

"Janet Fraiser. She was the CMO here at the Mountain during the SG-1 days. In a lot of the realities I've been to, she was my mom." There was a moment of silence between the two, Mom being sympathetic to the loss, and remembering the loss of Jack. "Who was my mom here, you?"

Mom didn't look at her for a minute. "No, Sara O'Neill was. She died last year, peacefully."

"Sara?" Cassie repeated. "Jack was my dad? Wait, Sara and Jack never got divorced?"

"Divorced? Why would they get divorced?"

Cassie paused, realizing what she was about to say was dark. "Charlie accidentally shot himself when he was ten."

Mom stopped walking. "Oh my god, no wonder they got divorced. How did Jack survive?"

"He almost didn't. The Abydos mission brought him back from a bad place."

Mom smiled and continued walking. "It's amazing how similar things can be when they're so different."

Twenty five minutes later, Mom had finally finished describing the entire process and Cassie had repeated it twice, and everyone was confident that if things went wrong, Cassie could fix it in subsequent jumps.

"I come bearing Jell-O!" Daniel announced as he entered the lab.

Cassie smiled, "There's a man who knows how to get things done."

They enjoyed their Jell-O and laughed together. Cassie absent mindedly glanced at her watch, realizing the time.

Cassie got up and hugged Daniel. "Thanks for the Jell-O." She kissed his cheek before letting him go. She hugged Mom too. "Thank you, so much."

Mom hugged her back, just like her real mom did. "Anytime, just visit whenever you want."

Cassie smiled her mega watt smile, the one she learned from her mom and took a step back, making sure she wasn't touching anything she didn't want to take with her.

She glanced down at her watch. There was still about a minute left. Cassie looked up at Daniel and Mom, and shrugged. "Well, this is a little awkward."

Mom nodded. "Getting there."

She waived.

There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _02:15_


	6. Chapter 6

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 6

Based upon Stargate SG-1

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie, again, found herself in a house. This one, however, she didn't recognize. She took a few steps into the living room and examined some of the pictures on the walls. Nothing. Nope. She was in a stranger's house.

This was not good.

Sneaking towards the door, all the lights turned on suddenly.

"Don't move!"

She froze and slowly turned around. Nope, she didn't recognize this guy either, but he had a gun. He had a shotgun, excellent home invasion defense weapon.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked. "And what the hell are you doing in my house?"

She held her hands up. "This isn't what it looks like."

"The hell it isn't!"

"Listen, just listen to me for a second."

The man waved the gun back and worth. "Why don't you just shut up and wait 'til the cops get here."

"That really isn't necessary," Cassie said. "I just need to call someone at Norad. Okay, that's all I need."

"Well, you'll get one phone call. Or, at least, you will if you don't move. I will shoot you."

Cassie didn't move and kept her hands in the air. This guy had an aggressive stance and his finger was lying along the outside of the trigger housing. From the way he held the weapon, she knew he was familiar with it and wouldn't hesitate in shooting her.

Not long after, she saw police lights outside and there was a knock at the door. The man sidestepped to the door, not taking his eyes off her, and opened the door. "Good evening, officers," he said, sidestepping again to give them space to come into the room. "I found this woman in my house. She claims it isn't what it looks like and wanted to make a call to Norad."

One of the policemen pulled his weapon, while the other handcuffed her.

"I need you to call Norad," she said, "and ask for whoever is in charge of the SGC."

"Alright, hold on a second," the cop behind her said.

"My name is Captain Cassandra Carter. I'm in the Air Force and I need to talk to someone at Norad."

"Hang on, Captain," the other one said, already having holstered his weapon. "We'll call them on the way to the station. Either way, you're looking at breaking and entering, so you'll have to come with us."

She sighed heavily, as he cuffed her hands behind her back "Fine."

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:33_

Cassie was irritable through the entire check in process. She didn't have time for this. She was only going to be here for just over an hour. They were wasting her time. At least she wasn't handcuffed anymore. They left her in an interrogation room with the cup of coffee she asked for.

Finally the door opened, admitting a man. He was middle aged, generally good looking. There was a familiar quality about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He wore jeans and a leather jacket over a plain button up shirt.

"I'm Cameron Mitchell," he said.

"No you're not," she said without thinking.

He stared at her. "I don't think you're in a position to tell me who I'm _not_. I know for a fact that you're not Cassandra Carter. I know Cassandra Carter, and you're not her."

"And I know Cameron Mitchell, and you're not him." Well, he did have the Cameron Mitchell accent, but that didn't mean much.

Again, he just stared. "It seems we're at an impasse." Finally he sat down. "How do you know about the SGC?"

"I work there."

He shook his head. "No you don't. I do."

"Listen, I am Captain Cassandra Carter. I am a member of SG-6, and have been for three years. Recently, there was an accident with one of my experiments and I started jumping realities. I really need that Sodan Cloaking Device back. If it's not on my wrist in another," she glanced at her watch, which they finally gave back to her, "forty five minutes, we're going to have a big problem."

"Problem?"

"Yeah, it's gonna jump without me and you'll be stuck with me."

He nodded slowly. "You're on SG-6, you say. Who's on it with you?"

"You work at the SGC and you're having trouble swallowing this?! Crazy shit like this happens all the time!" She banged her fist on the table.

"I'm waiting," he said with a bit of a smirk, and leaned back into his chair.

"Major Daniels, Captain Stevens, Doctor Reinquist and myself. Want more names?! Cameron Mitchell commands the SGC. He's good friends with my mother, Sam Carter, who is now the ground coordinator for the F304 fleet, but before that she commanded the Hammond, before that, Atlantis. We all work for Jack O'Neill."

"Wait," he held up his hand. "You said Cameron Mitchell is the commander of the SGC and that Sam Carter still coordinates the F304 fleet?"

His interruption threw her off balance a little. "Yeah, why?"

"My dad and your mom have been retired for fifteen years."

"What year is it?"

"2052." He paused. "You're actually Cassandra Carter, but from a long time ago."

She nodded.

"Alright, let's go," he stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the Mountain. I suppose you'll need some of the alternate reality stuff to figure out how to get home."

"Actually, I've already done that. I just need to make a few adjustments and try to factor in time a little better. See, I went forward in time, instead of back."

Mitchell nodded. "I can see how that would be a problem."

"But, I think I'm getting closer," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the first reality I've been to that my mom is actually my mom."

"Who's you're mom everywhere else?"

"Janet Fraiser."

His eyes widened. "Really? No kidding."

"What?" Cassie asked, seeing his surprise.

"Janet Fraiser is my mother."

"Really?! No kidding?"

"Small multiverse, right?"

She laughed. "Very small."

- . - _Time in Reality:_ _01:04_

Cassie glanced at her watch, realizing she was running out of time. She tweaked one of the capacitors again and watched the display on the connected tablet change.

"You're running out of time," Mitchell said.

"I know that," she snapped.

"So any time now would be good."

"Shut up!"

He did, for a moment or two. "Thirty seconds," he warned.

She shushed him angrily. If she was going to get this done in thirty seconds he was going to shut up.

"Twenty seconds," he said again.

"I _will_ kill your father when I get back," she growled, warning him off.

Mitchell held his hands up in surrender.

She tweaked one more capacitor, and . . . "HA! I got it!"

There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _01:07.5_


	7. Chapter 7

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 7

Based upon Stargate SG-1

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie looked around. Why couldn't she just show up at the SGC? She was at someone's house. She really didn't want to handle another breaking and entering fiasco. The good news was that it was the middle of the day. That was helpful.

She heard keys in the front door. Coming down the stairs and stopping in the living room, she tried to look unassuming.

Her jaw hit the floor when she came through the door. It was herself, younger, but it was herself.

"Oh my god," they both said at the same time. "You're me."

They both stood silently, their mouths hanging open. Neither of them really noticed a vehicle pulling into the driveway, the garage door opening and closing, and then someone coming into the house, until the someone said something.

"Oh my god," the third voice said.

Both Cassie and her younger self turned to see their Mom. "Mom!" Cassie said, she was glad that she was at least _close_ to the correct reality.

"What is going on here?" Mom asked slowly, setting down her keys and advancing into the room.

"This is not my fault," Cassie's younger self said.

"Well," Cassie said, "it's her fault as much as it is my fault."

"I'm listening," Mom said in her mom-voice.

"Well, I was working on a project and there was an accident and I've been jumping time and realities. I've figured out how to fix it, but the method is a little tricky and it looks like I overshot the mark." Cassie smiled sheepishly.

Mom laughed. "You overshot the mark?"

Cassie shrugged. "Yeah, oops."

"Oops?" she repeated.

"Come on, Mom," young Cassie said, "she's not perfect. She may have learned from you, but even you screw things up now and then."

"Alright, what do you need to fix your oversight?" Mom asked.

"Actually, just your computer will do nicely. It should only take a minute."

"Okay, let's get it set up."

"Can't she stay?" young Cassie asked. "Can't you stay a little while?"

"Well, I'm going to jump automatically in about twenty five minutes, sorry, I don't have anymore time than that.

Young Cassie smiled softly. "That's alright."

Cassie quickly made the necessary adjustments to the SCD, double checking and triple checking her work. Her younger self looked over her shoulder. Mom monitored from the other side of the table.

"Alright, I think I've got it," she said.

"This is so cool," Young Cassie said.

Cassie smiled. "Yeah, it is pretty cool."

"Does this mean I get to do what Mom does?"

Cassie nodded. "You get to do exactly what Mom does."

"Awesome."

They chatted for the remainder of her time. She was reminded how she and Mom were together. They had so much fun when she was little, and Mom was always there to look out for her after she grew up. Hopefully, she was waiting at home for her.

Cassie hugged them both and waved as her watch ticked down.

There was a blinding flash of light.

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:33.50_


	8. Chapter 8

Traveling Daughter

Chapter 8

Based upon Stargate SG-1

- . - - - . - _Time in Reality:_ _00:00_

Cassie appeared in what looked like her lab in the Mountain.

"Cassie!"

"Mom!"

Her Mom jumped up from Cassie's lab stool and rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around her. "Are you alright? Where have you been?"

"I fine," Cassie answered, feeling generally confident that she was home. "When did you get here?" she asked as they backed out of their embrace.

"They called me as soon as you disappeared. But I didn't get here until this morning. Where were you?" she asked again.

Cassie smiled. "In true Carter style, I was in an alternate reality."

Mom's expression turned pensive, no doubt remembering the things she had seen.

Cassie held her smile, assuring her mother that all was well. "It's okay. We can talk about it later. I have to get this off and destroy it before I jump again."

"You've been jumping automatically?" Mom asked, her tone turning from concerned to interested. Cassie concealed a chuckle, that was Mom.

They removed the SDC and zatted it three times, completely vaporizing it.

Mom smiled. "There."

Cassie nodded, still weary. She glanced at her watch. "Well, we can be sure fourteen minutes."

"What happens in fourteen minutes?"

"I was jumping automatically at specific time intervals, exponentially decreasing. The time limit for this jump was seventeen minutes. I've been here three."

They waited thirteen minutes, Cassie giving a general overview of where she'd been and what she'd been doing. Cassie glanced at her watch and saw that there was less than a minute. She stopped talking midsentence and stared, watching the seconds tick away.

Seventeen minutes. Her watch kept ticking and nothing happened.

Cassie released a huge breath, as did Mom. She laughed and threw her arms around her Mom. "I've never been so happy for nothing to happen!"

- . -

Cassie was exhausted. She'd spent the better part of the past week running around from reality to reality trying to get home, and how she was home. She spent the last several hours telling everyone everything. She had recounted her tale several times, to different people. Finally, they let her go home.

Mom drove, picking up take-out on the way. They ate together and Mom told Cassie to go lay down while she cleaned up. Cassie changed into her favorite pajamas and crawled under the covers of her bed. Turning on the TV, she propped herself up against the headboard.

Mom came in a few minutes later and joined her on the other side of the bed.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked.

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired."

Mom smiled. "Liar. You're exhausted."

Cassie shrugged. "Yeah." She scooted over and leaned against Mom, who put her arm around her and pulled her tight. "Mom?"

"Do you love Teal'c?" she asked.

"Of course, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because I went to a lot of different realities and you weren't with him in any of them."

"Really?"

"Well, one reality, I don't know who you were with, but yeah."

"Who was I with?"

"Jack or Daniel."

Mom laughed.

"Yeah, kinda weird, isn't it?"

"I wasn't your kid in a lot of them."

"Who's kid were you?"

"Janet, mostly. But Jack was my dad in one of them, Charlie wasn't dead and he was still married to Sara in that one."

"Hmmm," Mom hummed a response. "I wouldn't give you up for anything. Not to say that I prefer to be your Mom than Charlie never have died but . . ."

Cassie squeezed her. "I know what you meant. I love you, too, Mom."

Mom kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too, Cassie."

- . - FIN - . -


End file.
